You’ve probably seen videos where clever-to-a-fault YouTubers catch phone scammers, play along, toy with them, and ultimately tell them where to go, usually evoking the telemarketing equivalent of road rage. But what would happen if the potential victim took a totally opposite tact? This is exactly what happened here, and the surprising result is the kind of thing that can restore one’s faith in humanity.
Last summer, a gentleman who calls himself “Pleasant Green” (that’s his social media handle) got a scam letter from “Joel” in Liberia. Joel said he needed financial assistance, and asked for his recipients to send him electronic devices such as printers, computers, scanners, etc. He promised he’d sell the items locally and split the profits with the sender. After an initial reaction that went somewhere along the lines of “yeah, right,” Pleasant Green decided to follow along “and see where it lead me.” As with so many scam busters before him, he felt that “the more time of his I could waste, the less time he’d have to spend ripping other people off.”
So, Pleasant Green responded with a counter-proposal. He told Joel he was in the photography business and if Joel was willing to take pictures of where he lived and send them to him, he’d pay Joel for the ones that he liked. Joel agreed and sent a few over the next day. “They were just terrible,” according to Pleasant Green, who said he was surprised that the guy tried, nevertheless.
So, was Joel scamming Pleasant Green, or seriously trying to improve his situation? Pleasant Green decided to invest in this question. He sent Joel a $30 Vivitar digital point-and-shoot camera. After a few false starts (Joel needed, and got, instructions so he could take better photos), “would you believe that he actually improved? Some of his pictures were just stunning!”
Pleasant Green then printed a small photo booklet featuring Joel’s photos, called “By D Grace of God” (based on a phrase Joel used in describing Pleasant Green’s role in changing his life.) He then started an Indiegogo campaign to sell the book, and raised funds from all over the world, selling over a thousand copies in 40 countries and raising thousands of dollars.
Pleasant Green kept his promise, giving 50% of the profits to Joel, and 50% to charity. He asked Joel if there was anything in his community where he could be of financial assistance with his 50%. Joel said local schools lacked basic school supplies, and so Pleasant Green sent his share to be spent on pencils, paper, backpacks, etc. Joel sent photos of the truckload of supplies that he brought back to the happy kids.
Fast forward to December. More funds were raised from more sales of the book, as well as T-shirts and coffee mugs, allowing Joel and Pleasant Green to provide clothing for over 600 children. He also had enough money to save a school that had lost all of its funding.
On January 9, 2018, Pleasant Green got an anonymous donation allowing him to travel to Liberia, visit Joel, and help train local business owners in standard business practices. All additional money raised will go to help school kids in Liberia.
Pleasant Green has set up a website where you can go now and contribute. He’s also created a multi-part video series on YouTube that tells the entire epic tale.
“When you give someone a chance, sometimes they’re not who you thought they were,” notes Pleasant Green. “Sometimes they surprise you.”
He’s currently planning his trip to Liberia. This story isn’t over.
Is your faith in humanity restored yet?
